Your Photo On Canvas Offers Retailers New Revenue Opportunity

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 3/8/2010

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — One of the more intriguing profi t opportunities for retailers to emerge from the recent PMA Show had nothing to do with the selling of cameras, but in offering budding photographers the chance to have their images placed on canvases like great paintings.

John Doe, principal of Your Photo On Canvas (YOPC), has developed a nationwide custom photo-printing service that will take anyone’s digital image, blow it up and mount it on a canvas. The service can take virtually any size image fi le and turn it into a large mountable picture conforming to most aspect ratios, including 3:4 (compact digitals), 2:3 (SLRs), squares and panoramas.

Images can be produced with a tactile surface like painted artwork while giving proud photographers the chance to show off their best or favorite images in style.

For retailers, Doe’s business opportunity can represent significant profi t potential. For only a small investment of floor, wall or counter space, he said, dealers can make a substantial markup using the prices he advertises on his Web site. Retailers ring up the sale and send the image to the Anaheim Hills, Calif. YPOC lab through an in-store PC kiosk.

Doe said no account is too large or small — his largest client to date is Costco, which he said has been pleasantly surprised by the demand.

To take orders, retailers can use a computerized kiosk that they may already own, or sell gift cards, Doe said.

An 8-inch by 10-inch canvas would carry a $29.95 wholesale price, ranging to $199 for a 30- by 40-inch job.

For more information, YOPC can be reached at (888) 438-9762.